INSISION, which is just now releasing its third album IKON, has recruited guitarist Magnus Martinsson...Guitarist Heinz (a.k.a. Henrik Jacobsen) has left HATESPHERE reportedly due to a dislike for touring. Jakob Nyholm of DAWN OF DEMISE and KOLDBORN has joined the group instead…Guitarist Sean Olk has left CERBERUS…France’s KRONOS has signed with Neurotic Records…Drummer Dave Culross and bassist Jason Blachowicz have left MALEVOLENT CREATION…The Netherlands’ SEVERE TORTURE will release a new album, Sworn Vengeance, in November in Europe only through Earache Records…Gian Pyres of EXTREME NOISE TERROR and CRADLE OF FILTH fame has now joined GOREROTTED replacing the departed Matt…USURPER has thrown in the towel citing communication issues and label trouble…Metal Blade Records has issued ANIMOSITY’s Animal record, PATHS OF POSSESSION’s The End Of The Hour CD and LIZZY BORDEN’s Appointment With Death…Selfmadegod Records has licensed the Thrash Metal Warriors compilation from HIRAX's Black Devil Records. The disc features bands like KAT, HIRAX and SLAVER…GRIND MINDED will soon issue a new album, entitled Domestic Violence, through Open Grave Records…Tomi Joutsen, the lead singer for AMORPHIS will make a guest appearance on Carrion, the debut album by Jensuu-based “modern
thrashers” DISCARD...WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM’s Two Hunters album is now out through Southern Lord…Germany’s FALL OF SERENITY has completed a new demo called The Crossfire which is due in November…FLESHCRAWL’s Structures Of Death album is now out through Metal Blade. This album is only available as mp3!...INSATANITY and drummer Dave Kinkade have parted ways due to personal and professional differences. The band will be using Mark Green as a stand-in drummer for upcoming shows. The band’s The Day God Died album is now out…AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED has announced the addition of female singer Kat who is also the singer for Virginia doom metal band SALOME…DOWNLORD has left Open Grave Records in favour of the independent route…Original DEVOURMENT singer Wayne Knupp died in September due to multiple organ failure that was brought about by years of alcohol use…Former CONSTRUCDEAD singer Peter Tuthill is currently recording the vocals for the debut album from his GODSIC project…Norway’s AETERNUS and drummer S. Winter are no longer together due to the man’s physical distance from the rest of the group…REIGN OF VENGEANCE has recruited former DYING FETUS drummer Duane Timlin…Season Of Mist has the following new releases: THE OLD DEAD TREE’s The Water Fields, GHOST BRIGADE’s Guided By Fire and AVA INFERI’s The Silhouette…FREEVIL BURNING’s debut is out November 1 through Nastified Productions…Sweden’s BLINDED COLONY has parted ways with vocalist Johan Schuster and bassist Roy Erlandsson due to professional differences. Stepping in as new and permanent full time members are Jeoan Olsson (EVILDOER) on bass and Denny Axelsson (THE BEREAVED, ex-MARAMON, WITHIN REACH, CALM) on vocals…PENTACLE’s Under The Black Cross album is now out through Ibex Moon Records…To celebrate its tenth birthday DETONATION will play a special show at its hometown venue dB'S in Utrecht, The Netherlands on Saturday the 26th of October. The band has also launched a couple of contests to commemorate the anniversary…E-FORCE will soon issue an album called Modified Poison on Thundering Productions…The forthcoming ANAAL NATHRAKH album, entitled Hell Is Empty, And All The Devils Are Here, is due to be released through FETO Records on October 29th 2007…Metal Blade has issued DESASTER’s 666 - Satan's Soldiers Syndicate…Canada’s COFFIN BIRTH (Ex-OBSCENE EULOGY and BOUND IN HUMAN FLESH members) has signed with Bleak Art Records. The Miracle Of Death album is due soon…LECHEROUS NOCTURNE had its tour van and equipment stolen on September 19th at Edwards Theatre in Houston, Texas…Guitarist Constantine has quit NIGHTRAGE due to artistic and financial reasons…KULT OV AZAZEL's show at Autumn Equinox 5 Festival featured a couple of session members as Hammer and Xul were not able to attend due to work. Imperial of KRIEG and N.I.L. joined the band on vocals instead…DEMIGOD has parted ways with guitarist Tero Laitinen and recruited Tuomas Karppinen of TORTURE KILLER instead…CARNIVORE will tour Europe in November…JOB FOR A COWBOY, BEHEMOTH, GOJIRA and BENEATH THE MASSACRE are touring the USA and Canada under the 2007 Radio Rebellion Tour monicker. Look for dates in October and November.

Metallian Hard

SPV will issue a SAXON double DVD, called To Hell And Back Again, next month featuring concert, festival and video clip footage…Frontiers Records has announced the signing of DANGER DANGER for the release of a new studio album for 2008…GAMMA RAY’s next album will be called Land Of The Free Part II and be issued by the band’s new label, SPV. The CD will be a concept piece and the follow-up to 1995’s Land Of The Free disc. The new album, which will be issued next month, will contain 65 minutes of music and will be supported via a tour with HELLOWEEN, which was the former home of GAMMA RAY founder Kai Hansen...The Demon/Edsel labels are releasing a box set of all eleven singles by the band GILLAN in CD-sized replicas of the original 7" sleeves. The box also includes a bonus DVD of seven promotional videos…EDGUY's bassist Tobias "Eggi" Exxel will play bass for one show for BLIND GUARDIAN on October 13 in Pretoria, South Africa…GIRLSCHOOL was recently forced to cancel its US tour after failing to get a visa for that country. As a result of the members’ passports being holed up at the US Embassy the group missed the opportunity to tour Germany as well…CRYSTAL EYES have announced the addition of 41-year old guitarist Pål Petterson...COFFIN BIRTH has signed a deal with Bleak Art Records. The group's debut, The Miracle Of Death, is due in November…MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT has split up. The group's singer and guitarist Gregory Lahm has a new band called BLACK VIGILS…BLITZKRIEG's Theatre Of The Damned was released on August 10th through Armageddon Music. The CD was recorded at Absurd Studio in Hamburg with producer Schrödey and co-producer Biff Byford of SAXON fame...MANDEED has thrown in the towel. In a statement the band credited its manager with the reason behind the decision…CAGE has recruited drummer Norm Leggio, formerly of PSYCHOTIC WALTZ…BELIEVER has reformed and working on a new demo…DIRTY LOOKS now again featuring singer and guitarist Henrik Ostergaard will issue a new album called Gasoline this month through CDbaby…FATES WARNING's 1988 album No Exit will be re-released in most of Europe on October 8th through Metal Blade Records. This edition will feature alternate versions of several songs and a DVD filmed in that year…DOMAIN and drummer Stefan Köllner have gone their separate ways. The band is touring with ASTRAL DOORS and SECRET SPHERE with Jens Baar (of ILLECTRONIC) on drums…ETERNAL FLIGHT has inked a deal with Thundering/Manitou for the release of its second album, Under The Sign Of Will. The record is due in November. Nightmare Records will issue this in America…EXTREMA has not only issued a DVD called Murder Tunes & Broken Bones - 20 Years Anniversary but will also issue its entire back catalogue next month through Scarlet Records…Nightmare Records is releasing KATAGORY V’s Hymns Of Dissension, DIMENSION’s Ego and SUSPYRE’s A Great Divide. SUSPYRE has a new drummer whose name is Jeff Willet…THRESHOLD will issue a collection of its best songs in November, which will feature over 140 minutes of music from all studio albums plus three previously unreleased single versions. The Ravages Of Time (The Best Of Threshold) will be released by the band's previous label Inside Out Music on 20th of November and even include radio edits of songs from Dead Reckoning, the band’s latest record and first for Nuclear Blast. The band will soon record a new live DVD as well…FASTWAY and ex-LITTLE ANGELS singer Toby Jepson has released an EP called Guitar, Bass And Drums EP 2...ANNIHILATOR will support ICED EARTH for a European tour this month…Singer and guitarist Dan Castro has decided to leave GOTHIC KNIGHTS and MAGUS BEAST in order to focus on CASTROFATE. The latter band is recruiting members…Drummer Tommy Lee has quit MÖTLEY CRÜE once again according to the band, although the drummer himself prefers to think he will rejoin the group after resolving some mutual issues and problems…The surviving members of LED ZEPPELIN will reform for a special show at London's 22,000-capacity O2 arena on Monday, November 26th as a tribute to Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who died last December. Jason Bonham, the son of the band’s original drummer John Bonham, will be a part of the group. PETE TOWNSHEND, FOREIGNER and others will also play at the event. Rhino Entertainment will issue a LED ZEPPELIN compilation called Mothership, which is a 24-track, two-CD package. All eight of the band's studio albums will be represented. The band has ruled out further shows…TED NUGENT has a new album out which is called Love Grenade. No word on whether the title refers to the killing of innocent humans and animals…BRAND NEW SIN has been dropped by Century Media…Veteran Dutch band VENGEANCE has signed a deal with Metal Heaven. The group's first album for the label will be a live CD entitled Same… But Different...Close-up is the name of a solo album expected next year from DEEP PURPLE’s ROGER GLOVER…CRASHDIET second album The Unattractive Revolution is out this month and features an appearance by Mr. Mick Mars…Metal Mind Productions is releasing two vintage DIAMOND HEAD albums, Borrowed Time and Canterbury…According to No Face Records, “Following an evening of heavy drinking with fellow band members, CONQUEST OF STEEL guitarist DD Danger fell headlong down his house stairs after taking a drunken stumble at the very top of the staircase. The fall resulted in a badly sprained wrist, extensive bruising, cuts and slight concussion.” He had to miss a recent show in England. This follows drummer Chris ‘The Destroyer’ Mills breaking his wrist at the DOD festival in Ireland recently…IRON MAIDEN has announced an ambitious touring plan for next year. The band will tour Australia for the first time in 15 years and continue on to other parts of the world using the Somewhere Back In Time World Tour 2008 monicker. The tour will have a ‘80s theme and coincide with the re-release of the band’s older videos on DVD…LIZZY BORDEN’s Appointment With Death album is now out through Metal Blade…MAD MARGRITT released a CD entitled Animal on Tuesday, September 25th through Perris Records…MEMORY GARDEN has lost bassist Ken Johansson due to the man’s lack of time. A replacement is being sought…In a recent interview with Closeup magazine, Mike Amott of ARCH ENEMY discussed the possibility of a CARCASS reunion. Apparently, the band minus drummer Ken Owen, has even rehearsed. Plans are shelved pending the completion of ARCH ENEMY’s touring cycle in support of its current album Rise Of The Tyrant…HATESPHERE and vocalist Jacob Bredahl have parted ways. The band attributes the separation to the singer’s ability to give one hundred percent and devote himself. The tour with DIMMU BORGIR is cancelled…Former KAMELOT bassist Sean Tibbets (of ROYAL ANGUISH) will join the band on its European and Japanese shows. KAMELOT bassist Glenn Barry will not make the trip due to family commitments…OPETH will issue The Roundhouse Tapes live double CD on November 20th through Peaceville Records…LOVE/HATE featuring Jizzy Pearl (vocals), Skid Rose (bass) and Joey Gold (drums) has reunited for a UK tour in December…SIXX A.M., the new band of MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, will play 94.9 The Blaze's Halloween Havoc 2007, which will take place on October 25th at The E-Center in West Valley City, Utah…DOWN’s III - Over The Under album is now out through Warner Music…Guitarist Robert Schoenleitner has left EDENBRIDGE due to work pressures…Following the completion of the band’s new album, entitled Feast For The Hates, IMAGIKA and guitarist Noor LaCroix have gone their separate ways…KINGDOM COME has fired rhythm guitarist Yenz Leonhardt citing the man’s lack of time and engagement with other projects. The band is touring Europe this autumn with DOKKEN…KINETIC’s Corrosion demo is being mastered as we write with a release being imminent.

Metallian Demos

IOANNIS ANASTASSAKIS – SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF
Ioannis Anastassakis is a Greek guitarist who has studied at the GIT (Guitar Institute of Technology) and taken private lessons from all major guitar heroes, including Steve Vai, John Petrucci and Joey Tafolla. His style can be described as a mix between Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Joey Tafolla, but at times with a big fusion influence. Tafolla’s solo album Infra-Blue sounds a lot like this CD. The production is excellent and crystal-clear. Suspension Of Disbelief opens the album with Steve Morse-like speed picking and a jazzy atmosphere. Caravan Of Dispair Suite has an oriental intro with a woman singing in Ofra Haza-fashion. After that, the track turns into a heavy instrumental with spherical keyboards and licks in the style of Malmsteen. Altered State Of Consciousness is a laid-back tune and funky. Variations On Malaguena is pure flamenco and very impressive. Paco De Lucia comes to mind here. The Forgotten Quest is the most metal-compatible song on the album and features a lead that could also be on a Malmsteen album. Resonance Factor 12 is reminiscent of Satriani material, especially from the album The Extremist. Dos Hermanos is another Spanish tune. The Final Jam features heavy flanging effects and extreme distortion. Call it Stevie Ray Vaughan for metal listeners. The CD features three bonus tracks, namely The Final Jam as a backing track (who can honestly play along to it?), a demo version of the title track and another flamenco tune called Flamenco Journal – At A Glance. All of this pushes the total running time of the CD to almost 73 minutes. The album is recommended to all guitarists who like versatile instrumentals, but also to collectors of guitarist albums. This is available through Wild Rose Angel Productions. – Andreas Herzog

EXECUTIONERS AXE – GOD DOES NOT HATE
That may be so, but he would hate this if he would ever hear it. Executioner’s Axe is apparently the product of a former/current Holy Knight member and by now it would not take a knight of Metallian Towers to guess that this is white metal. Or is that white noise? This two-song CD has the roughest sound this side of a 1982 underground rehearsal demo. In fact, in an ironic Freudian slip the bio reads, “the master axeman from Holy Knight has started a new bad…” This is bad all right. The bass heavy sound, staticy vocals and Christian lyrics are fun to listen to in a perverse way. Even better is seeing this typically modern Christian fly the banner of Israel over and above goodness, kindness or even America itself. Funny stuff. Israel lovers and masochists should rush dollars to the band for express delivery. Get the address from axesexecutioneraxe@yahoo.com and ask about the band’s grammatical mistaken name. - Anna Tergel